The Most Basic Essential Foods

[kmason]

Is chocolate one of the basic food groups?

[DannySt]

Originally Posted by kmason

Is chocolate one of the basic food groups?

of course ! (so is whiskey)

[Alibi35]

I am surprised after reading most of this thread that no one has suggested lots of white vinegar. We have been living aboard for a year and took our first trip to the Bahamas recently. We find having a lot vinegar is essential. We use it for cleaning things, removing salt deposits and deodorizing. I buy it by the gallon and it is not that expensive for the multiple uses it serves.

And of course after our trip, the provisioning list doubled the amount of rum and beer for the next time out!!

[E-P]

Having been on this forum for few days now and I haven't seen anybody mentioning couscous. During sailing you don't want to be cooking all the time for what couscous is really good because it is really quick to make and is very nutritious as well.

Couscous has adequate amount of calories and it is really protein rich (+ iron and calcium to some extent) and the best thing about it when onboard is that you can prepare it in less than 10 min. You just boil some water (1:1 with the amount of couscous) and pour it to a container with couscous, then some salt and oil (or butter), close the container, wait 5 min. and MAGIC! It is ready to be eaten. For flavour you can add some herbs and spices if you wish. Couscous can be eaten later on as well cold for example in a salad or just on its own or made a stew in a pan with some beans, vegetables or what ever you fancy.

As a pro-vegetarian I also have to mention that in my eyes soya and lentils are pretty essential. Soya you can mix for example 50:50 with your meat to save money and make your meal healthier. Lentils are also really good, healthy and especially cheap and can be used for example to make a curry-soup but the disadvantage is long boiling time (around 30-40 min.) before they are ready.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by kmason

Is chocolate one of the basic food groups?

Only for the ladies.

For men, the four basics are white meat, red, meat, beer and beer.... everything else is "garnish"

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by Lil'un

I am surprised after reading most of this thread that no one has suggested lots of white vinegar.We find having a lot vinegar is essential. We use it for cleaning things, removing salt deposits and deodorizing.

How did I not think of this? It's in our First Aid kit anyway for jelly fish stings.... I didn't realise it's good for cleaning, though. Cleaning what, by the way?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Aaza Dana

. Cleaning what, by the way?

The Heads.

It does marvelous work when you pump a good amount into the toilet and let it soak in the pipes.
In some countries is amazingly cheap, and other countries you may as well flush wine. Weird.

Other good tip was E-P with Couscous. Get the larger grain variety but the fine grain can be useful bulking out hamburger patties etc.

[Mariness]

Originally Posted by Aaza Dana

How did I not think of this? It's in our First Aid kit anyway for jelly fish stings.... I didn't realise it's good for cleaning, though. Cleaning what, by the way?

Vinegar cleans everything!
Well, just maybe not your seashell collection... so almost everything.
The salad dressing smell doesn't last long either.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by E-P

Couscous has adequate amount of calories and it is really protein rich (+ iron and calcium to some extent) and the best thing about it when onboard is that you can prepare it in less than 10 min.

I love couscous myself but a note here. It is not a protein rich dish. Basically the same profile as a good semolina pasta. And it is only quick to prepare if you get the *quick* variety. Traditional couscous is steamed and takes awhile. So make sure you check the directions before buying.

and I would add baking soda to the vinegar. together they whallop alotta yucky stuff!

and muratic acid cleans seashells... but don't leave it long or they will be so clean they will dissolve!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Basically the same profile as a good semolina pasta.

It is semolina. Best is durum semolina

So exactly the same as wheat because it is wheat. i.e I dont think protein is a biggie.

[E-P]

Sarafina & MarkJ - Thanks for clarifying this thing seems like I have really lacked knowledge on this as I have always bought the quickly made one (by an accident I guess). The protein content I was pretty sure about this but yeah you are probably right. Need to check this next time.


Edit: Ok, I take back everything I said about the nutritious values of couscous At least if we relay on the info here;
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/c...d-pasta/5699/2

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by E-P

Edit: Ok, I take back everything I said about the nutritious values of couscous

but it tastes great!

[justwaiting]

While I have no direct knowledge of the area that you will cruise your idea that you will provide your self with protein from fishing may be a little optimistic. I you want to start a new thread on that subject I will post what I know as an ex professional fisher man. Some of may need to be in pm cause … !!!!!


The good news is that that most of eat way too much protein. Some really good points have all ready been made and perhaps they should be considered further. One of the things that is not in the discussion is how you are going to cook and the impact that it may have. For example pasta is quick easy food to cook but most of what you heat up is thrown (unless you add this to the washing up water) where as Asian noodles which have similar nutritional value's use only a small amount of hot water to soak. Another thing that you should consider is what happens if you primary method of cooking cease to work. Do you have a backup plan? Let face it you would not head off with no back up to you nav system. An example of a back up plan may be cooking fish and/or root vegies by warping in foil and pack next to the iron horse, when in use of course.


One of the posts made the point that if you don't eat something at home you probably wont on the boat. I would expand that point by saying that if you want to experiments do so at home where it is easy to throw some thing away and start again. The second suggest that I would make is that changes to diet would be a process of evolution not revolution, counter revolutions of either type are no on fun on board. Use a lot of powered milk in a diet that suddenly has less fibre in it – concrete! Start any changes before you go.


Another of the issues that could do will further consideration is the storage of foods. Like you I don't bother with a fridge. Although I find my self back on the hard for a while I still don't bother using a fridge at home. Most fruits and root vegetables will keep much better if kept dry, ventilated and so they don't bruise, try using old tights, washed and preferably not you mother in laws cause that make ever thing taste wrong. One of the methods I used on board of keeping cooked food was by reheating it in a pressure cooker and leaving it sealed.


As suggested get hold of a cook book that pre-dates fridges in most homes and you will get some good ideas on recipes and storage. The list that you have is about right except for fresh foods.


May all your winds blow fresh.

[Mariness]

Originally Posted by justwaiting

. For example pasta is quick easy food to cook but most of what you heat up is thrown (unless you add this to the washing up water) where as Asian noodles which have similar nutritional value's use only a small amount of hot water to soak.

Has anyone tried one of these thingies: Amazon.com: Tristar Pasta Express "As Seen on TV" - PEX: Kitchen & Dining
Just put in pasta, boiling water, let it sit. Haven't tried one, wondering how they might do. Might save energy instead of leaving to boil on the stove til done?

An example of a back up plan may be cooking fish and/or root vegies by warping in foil and pack next to the iron horse, when in use of course.

Yeah, just pick a cleanish spot. We once reheated pizza on a roadtrip by putting the entire box on top of the engine and closing the hood! (Right after we stopped - not while we were driving!) Worked great, only left a couple scorch marks on the box

[SaucySailoress]

It's been a while since flour, eggs and milk were mentioned. I made a great pudding the other using waffle mix (milk, eggs, flour and baking powder) mixed with apples and raisins - then baked it in a dish in the oven. Yum yum, and so easy. Not sure what to call it yet... Maybe someone else already invented it and gave it a name already!!!